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Amazon starts selling wine

>> Monday, March 31, 2008

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifAmazon.com, the world’s largest internet shopping site, will start selling wine. They are in the process of recruiting a buyer to be responsible for the sector, according to a report in the Financial Times. Amazon is best know for it’s book selection but sells a very wide range of products in the US. Wine shopping sites in the US have had a very difficult time to get off the ground, largely due to the sever restrictions that exist on selling wine on the internet and on selling and transporting wine from one state to another. Read more: ft.com

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”Bordeaux 1er Cru” – what is it?

>> Friday, March 28, 2008

040916-131-3191Most wine lovers would probably not hesitate, with a longing in their eyes, to say that Bordeaux Premier Cru refers to the top five chateaux in the 1855 classification: Chx Margaux, Mouton, Haut-Brion, Latour and Lafite. But brace yourself for this… The producers syndicate for Bordeaux Supérieur has tabled a suggestion that the appellation “Bordeaux Supérieur” (one notch above “simple” AC Bordeaux) should change name to “Bordeaux 1er Cru”. Apparently due to an EU rule that will prohibit the use of “supérieur” on labels. What a splendid suggestion – create an appellation name that will totally confuse consumers. Let’s hope that it will face the same fate as “Chaume 1er Cru”, an http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifappellation crated with the approval of the INAO in 2003, only to later be annulled by a court order as inappropriate and confusing. (We may add that as an alternative to “Premier Cru” the name “Grand Cru” has been suggested…! Perhaps they should be a bit more concerned with us consumers and with selling their wines rather than with silly word magic?) Yves-Damecourt.com and NewBordeaux

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Champagne Jacquesson changes hands?

>> Thursday, March 27, 2008

a0617-218-1891Jacquesson is a small, high-quality champagne house with a tradition of producing original and character-full champagnes from its 26 ha vineyards. The house is led by the Chiquet family headed by the jovial Jean-Hervé, responsible for external affairs, and his brother Laurent who is the wine maker. But the family only owns 51% of the house, the remaining 49% in the hands of the Scottish financier Michael Mackenzie. Rumour has it that Mackenzie is interested in selling his stake and that the Belgian magnate Albert Frère might be the buyer. Frère is already deeply involved in the higher echelons of wine, for example as co-owner, together with Bernard http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifArnault (LVMH) of Chateau Cheval-Blanc in Bordeaux. What the price might be we do not know but perhaps we could venture a guess of something in the order of €50 million… According to Weinwirtschaft.

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So, who’s the world’s biggest wine & spirits buyer?

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifWell, many people think it is one of the big monopolies that still exist, for example Systembolaget in Sweden or the LCBO in Canada. But no. Biggest is actually Tesco, the UK retail chain. They sell alcohol products for €4.3 bn (£3bn). That almost twice as much as the LCBO (€2.5bn, C$3.7) and well over twice as much as Systembolaget in Sweden (€2bn, SEK19 bn). There’s an interesting interview with the world’s biggest wine buyer, Dan Jago at Tesco, in Wine Business International. (For those of you interested in the Scandinavian market we might also add that the Systembolaget does not buy from producers. They do not have an importer’s license in Sweden and are therefore not allowed to import. They must buy all wines and spirits from a licensed importer, of which there are several hundreds, but only a handful of any size and consequence. The biggest importer is of course V&S Vin & Sprit, just like Systembolaget currently owned by the government, albeit up for sale.)

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Do you have (or know of) a beautiful or special wine cellar?

>> Wednesday, March 26, 2008

040423-1-CRW_0440_RJVdH books is a Belgian publisher specialized in making beautiful books, primarily on art. They are preparing a book on wine cellars – special wine cellars that stand out du to their design or history. Do you have such a cellar (lucky you!) or do you know someone who has? The publisher welcomes suggestions. Contact Astrid, contact info: vdhbooks.com

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Terrorists attack starred restaurant

an19-329-2956The Midsummer House in Cambridge is a restaurant starred by the Michelin Guide. It was recently attacked and vandalized by terrorists who belonged to The Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The vandals destroyed doors and windows of the restaurant and spray painted slogans on the walls. The restaurant has chosen to remove foie gras from its menu rather than risk being attacked again by the terrorists. One wonders if the vandals have seen how the birds are treated in a modern poultry breeding plant. Perhaps there are more important issues than foie gras. Decanter.com

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About Malbec – Cahors and Argentina collaboration in April

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifArgentina is actually the worlds largest producer of Malbec (sometimes called Auxerrois) with 24,000 ha. But historically it is Cahors in south-western France that is considered the cradle of this variety. The two wine regions have joined together for an event to make this not-very-well-known grape variety better known: The International Malbec Days that take place in the city of Cahors on April 4-6. An excellent opportunity to taste many interesting wines from this unusual grape variety. Don’t miss it if you are near-by. The International Malbec Days french-malbec.com

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Prize winning wine books – and one with a special offer from BKWine!

>> Tuesday, March 25, 2008

”Wine Behind the Label” by Philip Williamson and David Moore won the 2007 André Simon award for best drink book in the UK. “The Wine and Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal” by Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter was given a special commendation by the jury. An interesting detail is that both books were self-published by the authors! As a reader of the BKWine Brief you can also benefit from a special discounted offer of the very excellent book on Portugal! Read about the offer that we have agreed with the authors to the Portuguese wine book here.

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Wine is like fish, but more fun

>> Friday, March 21, 2008

fishAn American study has show that a moderate alcohol consumption has a similarly positive effect on the health as eating fish that is rich in omega 3 fats. The study compared wine drinkers with fish eaters and concluded that drinking wine in moderate quantities had the same beneficial effects as eating lots of fish. Just imagine if you eat oysters and Muscadet! According to Alcohol Update and the American Heart Journal.

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Wine search engine: Able Grape

>> Thursday, March 20, 2008

Sometimes it is difficult to find what you are looking for among the millions of search results you might get on Google. Able Grape is a new search engine that exclusively gives you results related to wine. We have not yet had the possibility to test it extensively to see if it makes a difference, but it certainly looks interesting. It also has some more sophisticated features that your plain vanilla search engines. The inventor of the search site is Dough Cook who http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifhad the idea to it when he was studying for the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Diploma. He also had the technical background to do it, having previously worked with search technologies at Inktomi and Yahoo. (It helps when you want to systematize 10 million pages!). Try the Able Grape wine search engine here. AbleGrape.com

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International Syrah Symposium in Lyons in May

>> Wednesday, March 19, 2008

050415-195-9506Scientific, oenological and marketing expertise gather in Lyons on May 13-14 to discuss all aspects of the future of the Syrah grape. Tuesday is focused on the viticulture and oenology of Syrah and the Wednesday is dedicated to marketing of the end product, the wine. More info www.syrah.symposium.tv

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Michelin publishes guide on Tokyo restaurants

>> Tuesday, March 18, 2008

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifThe first Japanese edition of the red guide has recently been published. It is a combined team of seasoned (pun intended) European critics and newly recruited Japanese restaurant critics that has written the guide. Read more here: iht.com

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Languedoc ships wine by sail boat to reduce emissions – saves 140g/bt

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifFrederic Albert has founded the Compagnie de Transport Maritime à la Voile (Maritime Sail Ship Freighters) and will be shipping his first cargo of wines from the Languedoc region in the south of France to Ireland soon. The sail ship transport will reduce the carbon emissions with an estimated 140g per bottle! The first leg of the transport, from Languedoc across the country to the western harbour in Bordeaux will be by barge on the Canal du Midi. Albert says he has a long waiting list with wine producers who want to ship with his boat. The first shipment is made by a boat built in 1896, in fact the last French merchant sail ship to be built. He plans to expand his fleet to include seven ships – an investment estimated to around 40 to 50 million euro. AFP

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Champagne and Bordeaux act against carbon emissions

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifBordeaux recently launched the initiative ”bilan carbone” (~the carbon score sheet), a project to analyse the carbon emissions caused by the Girondin wine production. They already know that 756 million bottles of wine are produced each year but how much CO2 does it produce? That’s what will be studied in the project, in order to identify the sources and find ways to reduce it. Already in 2003 champagne launched a similar project (“the first of it’s kind”) that has identified that each bottle of champagne represents some 700g of carbon dioxide a0615-213-1384(or 200g according to another source). 39% of the carbon comes from the packaging (not surprising considering it’s champagne we’re talking about), 24% from the work in the vineyard and winery, 13% from transports, 11% from various machinery (?), 8% from purchased material and substances, and 5% from “administration” (!). One way to reduce the carbon footprint would of course be not to pull the cork since the bubbles in the bottle is CO2… More info: Decanter or TrueWines or AFP.

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Weighty arguments against fat bottles

>> Monday, March 17, 2008

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifTwo wine heavy weights, Jancis Robinson and Oz Clarke, have both recently lambasted the tradition of using extra-heavy bottles for prestige cuvees. Many producers use thick and heavy glass bottles for their top wines to give an added sense of luxury. Robinson has launched a name-and-shame campaign on her web site and Clarke attacked the heavy bottles in a speech at the climate Change Conference in Barcelona recently, saying that it is irresponsible and a waste of resources. 'I think its one of the biggest nonsenses when the empty bottle weighs as much as a full bottle from another winery,' Clarke told Harpers TV according to Decanter. Perhaps we will soon see Chateau Pétrus in PET(rus)bottle? Read more Decanter.com

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Al Gore speaks on wine, global warming and climate in Barcelona

050531-210-1100Well, that’s what was the intention and what was announced. Unfortunately it turned out that he was in Barcelona, for the conference on wine and climate change, only thanks to a satellite link from Kentucky. He praised the wine industry as having taken some admirable initiatives to reduce emissions but still stressed that there is much left to do. We wouldn’t have expected anything less, would we? http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifRead more: Decanter.com. Or watch Al Gore’s presentation here.

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Less green house gases with the right tools?

040917-134-3496Californian, New Zeeland, South African and Australian winemakers’ associations in collaboration with Provisor Pt Ltd have developed a tool to analyse the green house gas emissions from wineries. The tool is based on an Excel spreadsheet file and helps the wine producer analyse the emissions in three groups: 1. Direct emissions (from tractors, heating/cooling equipment etc); 2. Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, gas and such like; and 3. Indirect emissions from other sources (packaging, external transports etc.). The tool is free (but we don’t know if it is reserved http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.giffor Californian producers) and is, according to the information, easy to use to give the winemaker a better picture of the greenhouse gas emissions. More information: wineinstitute.org or foodweek.com.au. You can also download the tool directly from the Winemaker Association of Australia wfa.org.au

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Greener wines? – two new papers

>> Thursday, March 13, 2008

20030512_835_0049bEnvironmental issues are very much in vogue today, not least in wine. The American Association of Wine Economists have just published two new papers in on the subject: ”Eco-Labeling Strategies: The Eco-Premium Puzzle In The Wine Industry” by Magali A. Delmas and Laura E. Grant, and ”Ceago Vinegarden: How Green Is Your Wine? Environmental Differentiation Strategy Through Eco-Labels” by Magali A. Delmas, Vered Doctori-Blass and Kara Shuster. Both are available (free) on the AWE web site in the Working Papers” section: wine-economics.org

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Vineyard technology: micro-climate monitoring

Grape Networks is a California based company that has developed a solution for wireless monitoring of the microclimate in vineyards. You install a number of sensors in the vineyard that collect environmental parameters. These are then transmitted wireless to an analysis application and can then be accessed from any standard computer. The benefits are an improved water management (e.g. to reduce irrigation), better control over chemical use and less wasted resources. More info: GrapeNetworks.com (One could have thought that they might use Banyan Vines but that is hardly the case…)

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Wine auctions in Holland

One more wine auction house can be found in Holland. They are called Winefield’s Auctioneers and are located in Amsterdam. They have four auctions every year. www.winefield.nl. And they also do wine education (e.g. WSET courses).

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French wine exports growing

>> Wednesday, March 12, 2008

http://www.bkwine.com/images/france-export-2007.jpg2007 was a good year for French wine exports. In value, exports grew y 7.7% and in volume by 2.9%. The total value (including vermouth and spirits) reached 9.5 bn euro (2006: 8.9 bn, 2005: 8.0 bn, 2004: 7.7 bn), compared with a more modest import number of 1.3 bn euro. Wine represents 70% of the exports but only 40% of the imports. Burgundy recorded the highest growth (+21%) followed by sparkling wines and champagne (+10%), and Rhône (+9.1%). Last place was given to Beaujolais (-8.5%). The biggest export markets:

1. Great Britain (1 437 M€)
2. USA (1081 M€)
3. Germany (622 M€)
4. Belgium (574 M€)
5. Japan (382 M€)
6. The Netherlands (338 M€)

(Source : Ubifrance)

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World’s most extensive (?) wine bar selection opens in Finland

050408-185-8502Wine & View is a new wine bar at the Helsinki airport who claim to be the world’s only wine bar with over 1000 fine wines available to taste by the glass. Some examples: Chateau Pétrus 1975, Chambertin 1961, or a vintage port from 1864… (don’t even dare to think of what they might cost) They also have more “normal” wines to taste, both from Europe and the New World. And even from China. Open from 6 AM (!) to 8 PM, Mondays to Saturdays at gate 28, sspfinland.fi.

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Japanese wine to be sold in Europe

Shizen, Cuvée Denis Dubourdieu 2006 is the first (we are told) Japanese wine to be sold in Europe. It is made from the Japanese grape variety Koshu and will be available in the United Kingdom, at the one-star restaurant Umu in London. The name? Well, Denis Dubourdieu is a famous Bordeaux based oenologist and consultant who has advised the producers. vinimarket.com

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Wine Tours

>> Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Wine Tours Spring 2008 program

  • February 13-17, 2008: Truffle, wine, duck and foie gras in the south west of France
  • June 11-15: Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy. 3 Classic French wine regions!

Autumn 2008 program

050526-203-0337For a wine lover a trip to Bordeaux is a must! Here you find world famous châteaux and world famous wines but also a lot of new exciting initiatives (less famous but maybe more important for the future of Bordeaux!) and young enthusiastic wine makers. More info!
Douro is one of the world’s most famous wine rivers. Here, in this dramatically beautiful landscape in northern Portugal, grapes are grown on steep, terraced slopes. The climate is dry and hot and the grapes are picked perfectly ripe. These grapes are made into port wine and increasingly into a full bodied, tasty red table wine. More info!
040923-139-3934Champagne... Luxury, celebration and of course excellent wines. But champagne is not just wines. There is also an outstanding gastronomy that we will pay special attention to on this trip. We will visit some world famous champagne houses and some small high-quality family producers. And we will enjoy the Champenoise gastronomy at our dinners (in a one-star restaurant!) and at the lunches, some of which will be with, and as guests of, champagne producers. Is drinking champagne all through a meal a good idea? Decide for yourself!

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BKWine Pick: Château La Grave Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Château La Grave Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

040917-134-3445A small wine property, as is common in Saint Emilion, of only 6 hectares of vines, but one that is moving upwards on the wine quality scale. It is situated strategically between two more famous wine estates: the Chateau Cheval Blanc and the Chateau La Conseillante (Pomerol). Excellent wines.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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BKWine Pick: Domaine Alain Graillot, Crozes-Hermitage

Domaine Alain Graillot, Crozes-Hermitage

050317-179-7944Do you like the really character-full, almost caricature style of Syrah – smoky, tarry, charcuteri, freshly ground pepper…? Then you should definitely try the Crozes-hermitage from Alain Graillot. Fabulous wines for Syrah addicts. Alain was part of the revival of the Crozes district some 20 years ago and has since inspired many younger winemakers to move up the quality scale.

Click here for address and more recommendations.

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Welcome to the BKWine Brief nr 56, March 2008

>> Monday, March 10, 2008

Greener wines?

Green seems to be the most trendy colour these days with wine. In February there was a Climate Change and Wine conference in Barcelona with vice-president Al Gore (but not quite). Organic wines sell as never before (but “before” we didn’t have many). More and more wine growers talk about the importance of not spraying (at least not too much) pesticides or fertilizers in the vineyard, not to speak about driving a tractor that compacts the soil (not good for the well-being of earth worms and their colleagues). A new shipping company is launched that will specialize in shipping wine by sail ship. New methods af analyzing and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. Etc. etc. Read about all that and more in this month’s Brief. In any case we can at least be happy that white wine is made from ”green” grapes.

But sometimes the ecological aspects almost go over the top. Some winemakers insist on making wine without any sulphur (almost an impossibility). The result is not always successful and often unpredictable.

Spring is getting closer

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifIt will soon be spring in the vineyards (although looking out the window, that’s not the feeling I get). Most winegrowers have now finished pruning, or will soon have to finish. It is preferable to be done with the pruning before the sap rises. On the other hand, you should avoid pruning too early in the season. Pruning early increases the risk for frost damages (because if you do the plant develops early).

It will be an interesting wine year this year. Last year (to be very general) northern wine regions had a cold and wet summer but were saved by an excellent autumn. In the south, on the other hand, many regions suffer from too much heat and too little water. Some have hardly had any rain in two years.

Lots of goodies

We were in Montpellier recently, for the big wine trade show Vinisud. On the television they announced emergency measures due to the lack of water. But Vinisud was an excellent event. Several thousand exhibitors and more than 35,000 visitors. When you go to that kind of thing you have to focus on something not to be totally confused. We choose to spend a lot of time on the Roussillon (the southern-most part of France, by the Spanish border close to Barcelona). A wealth of ambitious producers. But often they are quite small and have a difficult time marketing their wines on the export market. A great pity. We will be coming back to some of the things we’ve tasted later.

Portugal, with a special offer

If we continue south, to Portugal, we note that the country has recently had a excellent book written about it’s wine and food. It recently one a prize as one of the best wine book in England in 2007. We have made an agreement with the authors for a special offer to you as a reader of the BKWine Brief to buy at a reduced price. You can find all the details on this offer on the page on our autumn wine tour to Portugal.

Britt

PS: Recommend to your friends to read the Brief or forward it to them !

Read the whole Brief #56 here!

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Book review: House of Joy

>> Wednesday, March 05, 2008

House of Joy
Av Sarah-Kate Lynch
Doubleday, ISBN 9780385608848

There are not that many novels set in a winery setting. (I tried to write a detective novel once where the victim had his head smashed with a bottle of Petrus but I didn’t get much further than just that.) Well, some writers are more successful than me, as for instance Sarah-Kate Lynch with this small (in format) book about a champagne house with problems. The issue is not that the champagne is not good, on the contrary. But the personal problems of the heroine stack up when her father dies and his http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.giftestament includes some unexpected things. It is both funny and sad, and sometimes quite hilarious. And a bit sentimental with a touch of romance. Add a pinch of wine knowledge and you can look forward to a few hours good entertainment.

Buy the book.

Click here for more book reviews on my site. You will also find links to on-line book shops on that page.

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Taste wine on Saturday afternoons in Paris

>> Monday, March 03, 2008

http://www.bkwine.com/images/vote-2.gifEach Saturday between 3PM and 6PM you can taste a range of 4 whites and 5 reds at the restaurant Le TasteMonde. They are priced at a very reasonable 1€ or 2€ per glass. You find Le TasteMonde close to Place de la Madeleine, on 8 rue de Surène (ph 06 20 62 60 86).

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